Dive Brief:
- 2022 may be a "watershed moment" for company culture, LinkedIn said in its latest Global Talent Trends report — and flexible work and employee well-being play key parts.
- Of professionals seeking a new job surveyed by LinkedIn, 63% said work-life balance was their top priority, more even than compensation (60%) and culture alone (40%). The report noted that for many jobs, remote work isn’t an option, meaning flexibility must incorporate the ability for on-site employees to "shape work around their personal lives," be it through job shares, compressed workweeks or other strategies.
- Employees also want to feel cared for at work, the report noted. "Promoting well-being means offering employees much more than even health insurance and yoga classes," the report read. Care may look like giving workers more time in their day, making leadership set a vacation example or shutting down the office for a few days.
Dive Insight:
Flexibility may be one of the key trends to shape 2022 for HR, sources told HR Dive, which means employers may need to get creative. Letting workers pick their hours, shortening the workweek and creating predictable schedules — aspects of flexibility that employees who can’t work remotely can take advantage of — were among suggestions shared by experts, aligning with LinkedIn’s report.
A lack of flexibility could be behind quit rates soaring to record heights, recent report from GoodFirms noted; 70% of HR managers surveyed said that work inflexibility was a key reason for resignations. An October report from Limeade confirmed that workers are so burned out they’re departing with nothing lined up — and many of those surveyed left to join companies with remote work, better pay and improved management that helped them feel cared for.
Flexibility may be key in other parts of HR management, too, including benefits management. Nearly 75% of HR practitioners surveyed by Maestro Health said their organizations are considering leaving their insurers in 2022. Many said they are are considering switching over a need for flexibility and better support for member engagement.
